Tuesday, 31 August 2021
Not long after I got to my campsite yesterday afternoon, we had thunder and rain, then it began again at about 7 PM. The dogs climbed under the table with each other. And although the power didn't go out, I once again reminded myself that I need a surge protector.
When we went out for our first walk this morning, I heard an owl that I guess was a Great Horned Owl. The bird book says it's common throughout North America and that its call is a "series of 3-8 loud, deep hoots, with the 2nd and 3rd hoots often short and rapid." What I heard: "who-to-who who who." No other owls, whether they're supposed to be in the area or not, has a call like this, which is why I'm guessing it was a Great Horned Owl.
This campground is on the Shadehill Reservoir, a pretty body of water. Given the large number of people I saw at other state campgrounds, apparently to fish, I was surprised by the much lower number here. Yes, it was a Monday night, but that didn't seem to matter much at the other parks. I think it's because there just aren't that many people in this northwestern part of the state, and maybe people go to campgrounds closer to home. Or maybe it's because Labor Day is coming up and people are saving up their off-time for a long weekend.
Then again, maybe it's the water level. Near our campsite I saw this situation at a boat launch.
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| This is the boat launch, a study in contrasts - see detail below. |
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| This sign is on that pole to the left of the boat ramp in the photo above. |
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| These signs say the ramp is closed because of low water levels. |
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| today's route |
I crossed the Grand River again.
I passed a sign saying if I turned right, I'd come to the Hugh Glass Monument. I'd heard his name mentioned now and then but didn't know anything about him and didn't make the turn. And now I've learned I probably didn't miss much by not seeing the monument, but I'd missed a lot by not knowing his story before now. It's a remarkable story of how hard a person will work to keep himself alive. https://www.roadsideamerica.com/Hugh-Glass
Signs told me I passed through the Grand River National Grasslands. Land of Many Uses, they say.
I passed a sign that seemed to alert people to the Coal Springs Threshing Bee and Antiques Show. I've looked it up (because a threshing bee? really?) and learned that this event is coming up in September in Meadow, which is near the national grasslands (I saw the sign much farther down the road for some reason). It turns out that these threshing bees are a big deal in South Dakota, and I found an article that lists the dates for 10 of them. I'm not sure when this article came out but I'm guessing it was in 2018, based on figuring the dates would be on weekends. Anyway, this article is well-written and includes a view of a past that I've never experienced. https://www.southdakotamagazine.com/threshing-shows
I passed a field where one of the cows was slowly rubbing the top of its head on the side of a post.
The radio said there'd been an F1 tornado near Sioux Falls this weekend.
I was driving in some pretty steep hills - I was north of the Black Hills, not in them, but I imagine the upward land movement didn't just stop at some boundary line. Anyway, once I went over the crest of a hill and found a very large piece of farm equipment in my lane not far ahead. I was very lucky in having enough time to slow down and then enough space to pass it. It was followed by a truck so closely that I guessed the truck was its escort. But I'd've expected the truck to have its warning lights flashing, which they weren't, and that it'd be far enough back so other drivers wouldn't come over a hill unsuspecting of being about to smash into both the truck and the farm machinery. Oh well. Like I said, I got lucky.
I passed a flock of 8 wild turkeys by the road near a fence.
I saw a deer standing next to the shoulder facing me, except I didn't see it until I was almost right beside it. Deer have a wonderful camouflage in that golden tan color - it blends in beautifully with the grass around here. I was lucky again that it didn't decide to run into the road ahead of me, because I wouldn't have seen it in time.
I came to a sign saying if I turned left, I'd come to the Ben Ash Monument. I didn't do that but I did look it up, and found one of those stories about early settlers that seem apocryphal. But interesting. https://www.capjournal.com/trailblazer-ben-ash
The farther west I go, the fewer crops I see. This is hay-growing and grazing land: country for cows. And a wind farm.
We stopped for a short walk at a park in Newell, pop. 675. It was a full block of grass and large trees, with a few spaced-out pieces of playground equipment. It also had several picnic tables gathered under a shelter, and as we were driving away I noticed an unusual sign:
NO BIKES ON PICNIC TABLES
NO STANDING ON PICNIC TABLES
NO JUMPING ON PICNIC TABLES
NO HANGING ON RAFTERS
FROM THE PARK SHELTER
THANK YOU!
Don't you wonder what on earth has been happening in the park to prompt this sign?
The City Hall was once Newell Garage. The name is still visible above the door. This town looks pleasant but poor and struggling. I'm guessing it's primarily a farming town.
I passed a farm that had put a display of antique farm equipment in front of the house and buildings, strung out along the side of the road.
In Belle Fourche
I passed the turn for tonight's campground and went on into Belle Fourche, pop. 5,594, where I started my month in South Dakota. Remember, this is the Center of the Nation.
Driving into town I noticed a building with a sign above the door reading:
Center of the Nation Wool.
Wool. Worth More. Naturally.
I passed a business labeled New Generation Supplements, and the air around the building smelled just like baking chocolate-chip cookies. The company makes "nutrient dense livestock supplements" for cows, sheep and goats. Don't know where the chocolate-chip cookies come in.
In town I stopped at a grocery store and took the dogs to a park for a short walk. I tried to find a laundromat, and finally realized it was disguised as a regular business downtown and I couldn't park anywhere near it. Which means I'll be washing out some underwear at the campground.
The road to the campground took me past Orman Dam which, in 1911, was the world's largest earthen dam and designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. I didn't know there were any civil engineering landmarks so I looked it up. The list includes mostly dams and bridges and railroad stuff, but also on the list is Utah's Mormon Tabernacle, the Mason-Dixon Line, the Union Station in St. Louis, MO, and the Washington Monument. Here's a link to the Wikipedia page if you're curious. https://en.wikipedia.org/List-Historic-Civil-Engineering-Landmarks
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